AN OVERVIEW OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICIES IN PUBLIC FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

Abstract This article deals with how Brazilian students from underrepresented groups have access to higher education, and how is their permanence in it. It aims to provide an overview of the treatment of affirmative action policies in federal universities in southeastern Brazil. A wide range of official documents of all nineteen federal universities in this Brazilian region was analyzed. After data analyses, three categories were constructed: admission, post-admission support, and pedagogical programs for student permanence. This study indicates that a broader understanding of how affirmative actions are treated is critical if they are to achieve their goals, particularly with regard to the permanence of benefited students.